The cigarette lighter which is fueled by a combustible gas stored in a liquified state and used nowadays may be classified into two categories, i.e. the general cigarette lighter and the windproof cigarette lighter. The former allows the gaseous fuel ejected from a nozzle directly burned in the air to produce a visible flame, so it is also called the cigarette lighter with visible flame. The latter has a burner in which the gaseous fuel is first mixed with the air and then burned. An igniting element made from high temperature resistant material such as platinum is mounted about the outlet of the combustion chamber at the upper portion of the burner. Since the gaseous fuel is pre-mixed with the air, it can be burned completely to produce an invisible pale blue flame but with very high temperature (to the incandescent degree), which will heat up the igniting element to a very high temperature in a very short time. Once the flame is blown out by the wind, the igniting element, still maintaining a sufficiently high temperature, can reignite the continuously ejected mixture of the combustible gas and air by catalyzing effect. Thus the windproof function is obtained. The igniting element is in actuality an uninterrupted igniting device for the continuously ejected mixture of combustible gas and air.
The burner of this kind for a windproof cigarette lighter, such as is disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,844,707 and 3,915,623, usually includes a fuel ejecting orifice with a very small diameter (e.g. 0.05 mm) and two or four air intake holes which are located symmetrically on the wall of the downstream passage from the fuel ejecting orifice. Thus, they constitute a jet pump coaxial with the fuel ejecting orifice at the middle portion of the burner. On the rear end of the jet pump unit, there is a section of a venturi. On the other end of the burner, there is a combustion chamber coaxial with the jet pump unit and the venturi section. In the combustion chamber, a flame stabilizer is incorporated which is composed of a central hub and its peripheral openings. About the outlet of combustion chamber, there is mounted an igniting element which is made of high temperature resistant material. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,707 the igniting element is a stainless steel wire across the outlet of the combustion chamber. In JP No. 177891/87, and JP No. 14249/88, the igniting element is disclosed as made from a platinum solenoid, which improves the burning of combustible gas through its catalyzing effect.
As compared to the general cigarette lighter with visible flame, it is obvious that the windproof cigarette lighter has the advantage of strong capability to resist the wind. Even if the flame were blown-out by the wind, it can be reignited at once. However, as the flame produced by the burning of the mixture of combustible gas and air is not obvious, when igniting a cigarette in bright environment such as under the sunshine, the user can hardly see the position of flame, and the cigarette can hardly be put at a suitable position to be ignited. So, it is inconvenient to the user. Furthermore, the windproof cigarette lighter of this kind can not display the gracefulness and manner of an user during ignition of cigarette with a bright flaring flame.